1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liquid fuel containing cans and, in particular, to a closure top which insures a fluid-tight closure prior to use while providing easy access to the wick of the canned fuel system. The present invention further relates to a compressible and extendable wick for a cooking fuel system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional can for liquid or semi-liquid fuel are provided with a wick which extends upwardly from the top of the can and is covered prior to use by a flexible plastic cap which frictionally engages a stem, for example, defined about the base of the wick at its juncture with the can. A disadvantage of such wick and cap systems is that the seal provided by the plastic wick cap is generally not fluid tight and, accordingly, the liquid or semi-liquid fuel disposed within the can will leak from the periphery of the wick when the can is tipped or turned up-side-down during handling. The flammable nature of the fuel disposed within the can presents obvious hazards should the fuel leak in this manner. In addition, evidence of fuel leakage from such products renders the same unsalable.
It would therefore be desireable to provide a can top closure which provides a fluid tight seal for a wick structure prior to use and yet is easily opened without requiring tools or an extraordinary amount of strength and agility.
A further deficiency with wicked closures for semi-liquid or liquid fuel containing cans is that the wick structure is mounted immediately adjacent to upper surface of the can thus increasing the likelihood that the flame will be conveyed down the wick and into the interior of the can thereby presenting a fire hazard. Furthermore, the rope or other fiber wick typically provided for fuel cans, lacking in inherent rigidity or any support structure, can be compressed against the upper surface of the can thus making lighting the wick and proper burning of the same difficult.
It would therefore be desireable to provide a wick mounting structure in a can top closure which facilitates lighting the wick and the proper burning of the same without risking migration of the flame into the interior of the fuel can in use and which conveniently locates the flame adjacent the object being heated.